of Isma'il bin Ahmad Samani citing the names of his illustrious forbears,
Isma'il wrote upon his petition: Kun 'asamiya la 'azamiya 'isami bin
izami ("Be like 'Isam, 19 and pride not upon the bones of thy forbears.").
Isma'il alludes to the following couplet by a poet:
It was isam's character that made him into isam
And taught him the art of attack and being the first to be on guard.
God has also specifically pointed to this:
1. Rivalry in worldly goods increase distracteth ye,
2. Until ye come to the graves. 20
An ancient Greek sage has said that he who boasts about his ancestors is
dead, and those who place reliance upon their sinews and their own excellence are the living ones. A poet has said:
When a person cannot attain exalted stations,
Old bones offer no more cause for pride.
There are some persons who have observed futuwwat to such an extent
that they have exceeded all bounds in their observance of it. In order to
avoid ignominy and disgrace, fight oppression, or to pay the dues to the
neighbours, they have not valued their lives. And therefore, we hear
about the common people of Arabia who laid down their lives to save
those that were their guests or had sought refuge with them. Some of
them reached such a pitch of madness in cherishing these chivalrous
traits that they were even ready to kill people who would harm a locust
that had its habitation near their tent. There are some figures like Hatim
Ta'i who surpassed the limits of generosity. He did not give up the spear
belonging to his enemy, although he was near his death, and wished to
end his own life with it. Another instance is that of K'ab bin Mamah
lyadi who was awarded a cup of water on the throw of the dice; he did
not drink the water but gave it to his Numayri companion, though he
himself was dying from thirst. A poet has therefore said:
A brave one is not he who takes his morning draught and tipples
wine in the evening. But he, who goes out morn and eve to inflict
loss upon his enemy or to act for the benefit of his friend, is a
valorous person indeed.
'AIT bin Jahm says:
The perishing of a good thing at the hands of a noble one is not disgrace. Disgrace is that one should forfeit his honour.
The first couplet describes futuwwat. A person can have command over
it only when he has an open hand and belongs to the community of the
affluent. It sometimes happens that two persons make the same kind of
effort, but regrettably fortune does not smile upon one of them, but no
one can reprehend him simply because fortune does not favour him.
The couplet by 'Ali bin Jahm alludes to muru'at (valour and chivalry), as those who are noble do not retrace their steps. They try to mask
